VJ Edgecombe

And-Ones: Brown, Adams, Luxury Tax, Top Rookies

November 14th, 2025 at 4:09pm CST by Rory Maher

Free agent guard/forward Troy Brown Jr. has signed a rest-of-season contract with the Adelaide 36ers of Australia’s National Basketball League, writes Olgun Uluc of ESPN.

The 15th pick in the 2018 draft, Brown spent six years in the NBA, suiting up for the Wizards, Bulls, Lakers, Timberwolves and Pistons. The 26-year-old last played in the league during the 2023/24 campaign.

Brown spent part of last season in Turkey, then briefly played in Puerto Rico in the spring.

“Troy has great size and length,” 36ers GM Matt Weston said in a press release. “He’s a legitimate shooter who is very good on the defensive side of the ball with great hands.”

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

The Brisbane Bullets of the NBL have released former NBA point guard Jaylen Adams, Uluc reports for ESPN. Adams went undrafted in 2018 out of St. Bonaventure and spent most of his rookie year on a two-way deal with Atlanta, ultimately making 41 total NBA appearances through the 2020/21 campaign. He has spent most of the past four seasons in the NBL, including winning MVP in ’21/22 and leading the Sydney Kings to a title that season. However, the 29-year-old has looked disengaged of late, according to Uluc, and his statistics are down considerably from last season. The team cited behavioral and cultural concerns as reasons why it decided to cut Adams loose, sources tell Uluc.
Eric Pincus of SportsBusinessClassroom.com has updated his NBA luxury tax tracker for the ’25/26 season, with 16 clubs currently below the tax line and 14 teams in tax territory. The Nets and Jazz have the most room under the tax, while the Cavaliers have — by far — the most expensive roster in the league, with a projected tax bill of nearly $164MM.
ESPN’s Zach Kram ranks the top 10 NBA rookies, writing that his list is based on how each young player has performed through the first three weeks of the season and not a projection or a prediction on who might win Rookie of the Year. Three Hornets (Sion James at No. 8, Ryan Kalkbrenner at No. 5, and Kon Knueppel at No. 3) are on Kram’s list, with Sixers guard VJ Edgecombe ranked second and Grizzlies wing Cedric Coward coming in at No. 1.

Injury Notes: Ball, Embiid, Edgecombe, Kuminga, Mavs, Kings

November 13th, 2025 at 8:08pm CST by Rory Maher

Hornets star LaMelo Ball is listed as probable for Friday’s game in Milwaukee, tweets Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer. The 24-year-old point guard, who has missed the past five games with a right ankle impingement, recently practiced in the G League, with head coach Charles Lee expressing optimism about his progress.

Ball, a former Rookie of the Year who made his lone All-Star appearance in his second season, has averaged 23.3 points, 9.8 assists, 7.8 rebounds and 1.7 steals on .430/.333/.815 shooting in six games this fall (33.3 minutes per contest).

Second-year guard KJ Simpson (left AC joint sprain) is also probable to suit up against the Bucks, while rookie center Ryan Kalkbrenner will miss a game for the first time in his career due to personal reasons.

Here are some more injury-related notes from around the NBA:

While there are no long-term concerns about the injury, Sixers center Joel Embiid will miss his second straight game on Friday because of right knee soreness, as Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports relays (via Twitter). VJ Edgecombe, the third overall pick in the 2025 draft, is also on the injury report, having been listed as questionable to suit up against Detroit due to back spasms.
Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga is dealing with bilateral tendinitis in his knee and is questionable for Friday’s matchup at San Antonio, per Anthony Slater of ESPN (Twitter link). Kuminga was demoted to the second unit on Wednesday vs. the Spurs after starting the first 12 games of the season. He played a season-low 12 minutes last night, leaving the game early due to the knee issue.
Three key members of the Mavericks‘ frontcourt are questionable to play Friday against the Clippers, according to Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News (Twitter link). Anthony Davis (left calf strain) and Dereck Lively II (right knee sprain) have both missed several games with their respective injuries, while forward P.J. Washington is a recent addition to the injury report — he’s dealing with a left shoulder strain.
The Kings have listed Domantas Sabonis (left rib contusion) and Malik Monk (sore left ankle) as questionable for Friday’s matchup in Minnesota, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. High-scoring guard Zach LaVine is not on the injury report after missing Wednesday’s game vs. Atlanta with a bruised thigh, Anderson adds. Head coach Doug Christie ripped the Kings for their “shameful” compete level after Wednesday’s lopsided defeat, the team’s fourth straight loss.

Sixers Notes: Watford, Oubre, Embiid, Edgecombe

November 9th, 2025 at 9:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Trendon Watford posted a triple-double while making his first start for the Sixers on Saturday and earned a comparison to peak Ben Simmons from teammate Joel Embiid, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Watford finished with 20 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, all season highs, in a victory over Toronto.

“He’s kind of what you call a hooper,” coach Nick Nurse told reporters. “He really, really knows how to play, and he can do a lot of different things that we talked about.”

According to Pompey, Nurse was hoping to acquire Watford from Brooklyn last season, but a deal couldn’t be worked out. He pushed to sign Watford in free agency, and it’s looking like a great investment. The 25-year-old forward is averaging 10.3 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists through six games and has become a valuable member of the rotation. He’s making $2.5MM this season, and the team holds a $2.8MM option for 2026/27.

A hamstring injury prevented Watford from participating in training camp or the preseason and forced him to miss the first three games of the regular season. He tells Tony Jones of The Athletic that he’s glad that experience is behind him.

“I hope it’s something that I don’t have to deal with going forward,” Watford said. “Hamstrings are difficult because you can’t do anything when you have that injury. All you can do is kind of sit around and get out of shape.”

There’s more on the Sixers:

Nurse will be facing a difficult lineup decision with Paul George potentially returning soon, Pompey adds in the same piece. There’s been an assumption that George would replace Kelly Oubre Jr. in the starting lineup, but Pompey states that Oubre has been playing too well to demote. He’s been an important contributor on both ends of the court, averaging 19.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.0 blocks in nine games. “I think Kelly has been really outstanding,” Nurse said. “You saw him. he was fighting (Brandon) Ingram most of the night. He’s done that consistently, where he’s got one of the better scorers in the league or the other team and keeps working and working. He’s been really good and done a good job of playing physical.”
Embiid scored a season-high 29 points on Saturday, but he didn’t force any shots and made an effort to get his teammates involved in the offense, Pompey observes in a separate story. “It’s just about moving the ball,” he said. “Passing to the open guy. Like I said, I’m not too worried about the offense. I think we know what we have to do, especially sharing the ball.”
The Sixers’ good fortune in keeping their first-round pick at the lottery and their decision to select VJ Edgecombe when there was no consensus on the third-best draft prospect have changed the trajectory of the franchise for the future, Yossi Gozlan states in his Third Apron column (subscription required).

Sixers Notes: Oubre, Lowry, Edgecombe, Embiid

November 3rd, 2025 at 10:58pm CST by Rory Maher

While the Sixers‘ backcourt play has understandably garnered most of the attention during the team’s 5-1 start, veteran forward Kelly Oubre Jr. has been a key contributor as well, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscriber link).

In Sunday’s matchup with Brooklyn, Oubre was tasked with slowing down Michael Porter Jr., who had a season-high 32-points in his previous game against Atlanta. Not only did Oubre limit Porter to two first-half points, he scored 24 of his own, including a career-best 22 in the first quarter alone.

“So [Kelly] set the tone big-time on that,” head coach Nick Nurse said. “And, again, I really believe this to be true: When you start the game super focused on D, that really usually translates to the other end, too. It really does.”

Oubre, who will be an unrestricted free agent next summer, is averaging 19.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 38.0 minutes per contest on .526/.416/.800 shooting through six games.

Here’s more on the 76ers:

Kyle Lowry officially became the 12th player in NBA history to play 20 seasons when he checked in for garbage-time minutes at the end of Sunday’s win against the Nets, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. The six-time All-Star, who was born in Philadelphia and played his college ball at Villanova, is a leader in the 76ers’ locker room. “That’s a Hall of Famer we’re talking about,” Tyrese Maxey said. “Jersey’s probably getting retired in Toronto. And he’s up cheering for everybody, motivating people, talking in the locker room. I’ve got nothing but love and respect for K-Low and we appreciate having him.”
In a column for The Inquirer, Pompey (subscription required), Pompey wonders whether VJ Edgecombe will be able to reach his full potential offensively playing alongside a ball-dominant center in Joel Embiid. Edgecombe has been the league’s top rookie in the early going, averaging 20.3 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 5.0 APG and 1.5 SPG on .495/.421/.824 shooting in six games (39.0 MPG), but has often ceded touches to Embiid when they share the court, Pompey explains.
Embiid’s defensive mobility has been limited in his four appearances this season after he underwent another knee surgery in April. In a subscriber-only mailbag, Pompey speculates that the former league MVP may have lingering issues with the knee, though he acknowledges it will probably take another month or so to determine if Embiid will look like this going forward or if he’s just trying to work himself back into playing shape. Pompey also tackles questions about Paul George‘s play-making and how the nine-time All-Star forward might impact the team’s defense when he makes his season debut.
In case you missed it, second-year guard Jared McCain is expected to make his season debut on Tuesday in Chicago.

Sixers Notes: Undefeated Start, Maxey, Grimes, McCain

October 28th, 2025 at 9:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers wilted last season under an avalanche of injuries, but there’s reason to believe that may not happen again, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Philadelphia was shorthanded on Monday night as Joel Embiid was rested for left knee injury management and Dominick Barlow missed the game after having a procedure for a laceration on his left elbow. They joined Paul George, Jared McCain and Trendon Watford, who haven’t played yet this season, but the Sixers managed to defeat Orlando to remain one of the league’s four unbeaten teams.

“Last year, I think lineups changed a lot. Guys in and out,” Kelly Oubre Jr. said of 24-58 season. “But this year, I think Tyrese (Maxey) has been hitting it on the head. It’s like no matter who’s out there, we have this constant that we won’t waver from. That goes into our culture and the things that we do on a daily basis. It’s still early. But at the end of the day, man, if we can have the next man step up, or anybody come in there and be an impact to winning, I think that we’ll be better off than we were last year.”

Head coach Nick Nurse was forced to use a makeshift rotation to pull out the win against the Magic. Jabari Walker made his first start of the season and delivered four points, five rebounds and a block in 14 minutes. Veteran guard Eric Gordon and rookie guard Hunter Sallis both saw action for the first time this season.

There’s more from Philadelphia:

The Sixers are getting a historic performance from their young guards, Pompey notes in the same piece. Maxey and VJ Edgecombe have combined for 186 points, which is the highest total for a starting backcourt through three games since the league began tracking starters in 1970/71. Maxey, who had 43 points on Monday and is leading the NBA in scoring at 37 PPG, received MVP chants from the crowd. “I’m just trying to close games out,” he said. “Joel has been on me recently about that, probably since my fourth year, about how I can help close games out and have the ball in my hand and make decisions whether I’m shooting or whether I’m passing.”
Quentin Grimes, who signed his qualifying offer following a summer-long standoff over a new contract, is finding success in a bench role after being the team’s leading scorer late last season, Pompey adds. He contributed 14 points on Monday after scoring 24 against Charlotte on Saturday. “I know I’m going to get starters minutes and everything (despite coming off the bench),” Grimes said. “I’m going to do my thing. I just get the opportunity to go out there and play my game … go out there and help the team win. We got a lot of good guys on the team, a lot of versatility. So it’s all going to play itself out. It’s going to work out for sure.”
McCain is making progress in his recovery from thumb surgery and could be back on the court soon, Pompey states in a separate story. The second-year guard, who’s no longer wearing a splint, put on an impressive shooting display after Monday’s shootaround, according to Pompey. Nurse urged caution, saying McCain still has to go through “a series of days of contact” before being activated. “Inserting him in with the VJ, Tyrese and (Quentin Grimes guard) group is the plan,” Nurse added. “That was sort of the plan going into the season. Again, I think they all can do a variety of things, and give us a chance to have some more depth. Gives us a chance to, again, play some shorter stints so the energy can stay high and all those things. We need him back. We look forward to having him back.”

Atlantic Notes: Z. Williams, Thomas, Demin, Edgecombe, Gonzalez

October 27th, 2025 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Injuries continue to pile up for the Nets, who dropped their third straight game Sunday in San Antonio and saw Ziaire Williams leave with a lower back contusion, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Williams landed hard on the court after a collision, and his status for tonight’s game in Houston is uncertain.

“Yeah, it definitely hurt. I would never leave the game if I could play,” Williams said. “It just got real tight. I couldn’t really move out there. So I’ve just got to go over it with the medical staff. They’re already going over a game plan for me. I’ve already iced and started my recovery now. So hopefully, with this early game and some recovery and I get back to hotel, hopefully, I’ll bounce back.”

Brooklyn was already without Haywood Highsmith, who is recovering from right knee surgery, along with rookies Drake Powell and Danny Wolf, who are day-to-day with sprained ankles. Cam Thomas is dealing with a nasal fracture, but he’s opting to play without a mask.

“Just gotta keep playing, keep pushing. If I’m good enough to play, I’ll be out there playing, so no worries. Just basketball,” Thomas said. “Yeah, I considered it, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t that bad. … If I wanted to wear a mask, I could. But at the end of the day, I’ll just take my chances.”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Nets guard Egor Demin is showing promise early in his NBA career, but he understands that he has to drive into the lane more often to be fully effective, Lewis adds in a separate story. Demin is answering doubters about his outside shot, but he needs to break down defenses to create opportunities for teammates. “We have a lot of shooters, and for me getting to the paint is an opportunity to make their lives easier and create something good for them,” he said. “So that’s something I’m really having in focus. And I’m really planning to work on it even more and trying to adjust myself so I can be able to do that more.”
Sixers rookie VJ Edgecombe has already won over Joel Embiid, per Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). After scoring 34 points on opening night, Edgecombe has found multiple ways to help the team, posting 15 points, six rebounds, eight assists and three steals in Saturday’s win over Charlotte. “You’ve got to keep being aggressive, but also letting the game come to you,” Embiid said. “And that’s what he did tonight. Every night, I said it after the first game, every night — it might be Tyrese (Maxey). It might be me. It might be him. It might be someone else, but you’ve still got to play the right way. Some nights, you’re not going to score. How else are you going to contribute? He’s doing it defensively and sharing the ball.”
Guarding Cade Cunningham was part of the assignment on Sunday as Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez made his first NBA start, notes Brian Robb of MassLive. Gonzalez got plenty of recognition from teammates after holding the Pistons star to three points on 1-of-5 shooting as his primary defender. “I like Hugo’s mentality. I like how he comes out; he’s ready to go,” Jaylen Brown said. “He knows his role. And he can play. So, we’re gonna need more of that. He’s gonna continue to learn as he gets better, as he grows, but that’s what we need.”

Sixers Notes: Edgecombe, Maxey, Embiid, Barlow

October 22nd, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Eli Cohen

VJ Edgecombe had a historic debut for the Sixers on Wednesday, scoring the most points in a rookie debut since Wilt Chamberlain, writes Kurt Helin for NBC Sports.

After starting the game with 14 first-quarter points, Edgecombe finished with 34 for the game, the third-highest mark ever for a rookie in his first NBA outing. He also added seven rebounds, three assists, and five three-pointers.

“We certainly needed the offense, and he certainly just looked pretty comfortable out there,” head coach Nick Nurse said after the game. “Again, I think that’s probably one thing I’ve noticed the most about him, is he seems to really know what’s going on out there for a young player. You just don’t see him making silly mistakes, or many mistakes. He is just playing the right way. He’s got a very good feel for the game.”

It wasn’t all perfect for the third overall pick. Edgecombe went to the line with a one-point lead and 7.3 seconds on the clock and missed both free throws, but the Celtics were unable to take advantage, allowing the Sixers to escape with the win.

We have more Sixers notes:

Prior to Wednesday’s opener, Tyrese Maxey reflected on his path to becoming a leader with this Philadelphia team. “I used to always smile, but I know that I can’t be that guy anymore,” Maxey said told Tony Jones of The Athletic. “I kind of leave it up to Jared (McCain) and VJ. I want them to be extremely happy and have fun and just focus on playing basketball. That’s what they deserve to do.” One thing Maxey is focused on is letting go of a disaster 2024/25 season. On Wednesday, he took a good first step in that direction, leading the team to a win over Boston with 40 points on 24 shots and six assists to just one turnover.
One of the hardest things for a superstar to do is accept their limitations, but that’s exactly what Joel Embiid has been forced to do, writes Keith Pompey for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Embiid knows he’s perceived differently after the injuries that have caused him to lose so much time. “We got a bunch of athletes,” Embiid said. “We’ve got to release them… They’ve got to run. My job is to find them and, in a way, that also kind of saves me, because if we get early baskets and easy baskets, I won’t have to run up and down. I can just let those guys push the pace, attack. And if we don’t have anything, I’ve always trailed anyway in my career. Then I can come in and get into the offense.” In the season opener, Embiid was limited to four points on 1-of-9 shooting while playing just 20 minutes. Nurse confirmed ahead of the game that Embiid would be on a minutes restriction, Pompey reported (via Twitter).
Two-way big man Dominick Barlow got the start for the Sixers and ended the night with 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists, and one block in 34 minutes. After a strong preseason, he continued to impress, causing Jones to predict (via Twitter) that Barlow will have his contract converted to a standard NBA deal at some point this season.

Sixers Notes: Edgecombe, George, Embiid, Watford, Bona

October 20th, 2025 at 10:00am CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers had high expectations for VJ Edgecombe when they made him the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft, and he was even better than they expected during the preseason, writes Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer (subscription required). Edgecombe’s athleticism, defensive prowess and scoring were obvious at Baylor, but he has displayed an ability to serve as the primary ball-handler and run the offense even though scouts had concerns about his dribbling.

Pompey notes that coach Nick Nurse used Edgecombe as his lead guard in Friday’s preseason finale and he responded with 26 points, six rebounds, three assists and five steals in 34 minutes. He also created scoring opportunities for Tyrese Maxey, who Pompey points out hasn’t been paired with an accomplished play-maker since James Harden left.

“I think we thought, ‘OK, maybe he could play on the ball some,’ and we were talking about, ‘Let’s do it at Summer League,’” Nurse said. “But where we’re at, I think he’s way ahead of where we thought he might be, being able to do that.”

Edgecombe is part of a talented group of young guards in Philadelphia, alongside Maxey, Quentin Grimes and Jared McCain, but that doesn’t mean he’ll face a battle for playing time. Pompey expects him to be in the starting lineup when the Sixers open the season Wednesday at Boston.

“I know I worked hard to be in this position,” Edgecombe said. “If I wasn’t ready for it, I wouldn’t have been here. I feel as though I just have a lot of confidence. My teammates instill confidence in me also. So, I won’t say it’s easy, but it’s basketball at the end of the day. I’m trying not to overthink it. I love this game so much. … It just flows naturally, man. I’m just out there having fun.”

There’s more from Philadelphia:

Paul George was a full participant at Sunday’s practice for the first time since undergoing offseason knee surgery, Pompey states in a separate story. George sat out the entire preseason, but there’s optimism that he’ll be ready to play soon. “He looked good,” Nurse said. “He’s moving good. He needs to have some more conditioning and things. But he looked good. He’s really pushing himself to get in shape. Defensively, he looked really good. He was really moving.”
Joel Embiid also practiced without restrictions after making his first preseason appearance on Friday, Pompey adds. Trendon Watford, who’s dealing with a right hamstring issue, was limited to drills and five-on-zero work.
Adem Bona‘s contract becomes fully guaranteed today at $1,955,377, notes Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). Bona, who may be the team’s primary backup center, has a non-guaranteed $2.3MM salary for next season, along with a $2.5MM team option for 2027/28.

Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Edgecombe, Ingram, Demin

October 19th, 2025 at 10:11am CST by Rory Maher

Star center Joel Embiid suited up for the Sixers for the first time in nearly eight months in Friday’s preseason finale against Minnesota, writes Tim Bontemps of ESPN. While the Timberwolves were resting most of their rotation regulars, Philadelphia — and Embiid — came away encouraged by how he looked during the 126-110 win.

“I don’t want to really think about the past,” Embiid said. “I’m just in a good space mentally, physically. … I’m just happy to touch the basketball and be able to play basketball and do what I love.

“When you don’t get [to do] that, it’s tough, but that’s what I’m most happy about. So today, tonight, that’s all I kept thinking about. I’m on the court playing basketball, doing some good things, helping us win, and yeah, that’s really what I was focused on.”

As Bontemps notes, Embiid has been plagued by left knee issues the past couple years, limiting him to 58 games over that span, including just 19 last season. In approximately 19 minutes on Friday, the 2023 MVP put up 14 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals.

“I mean, I won’t say I feel like I was 18 years old again,” Embiid said with a smile when asked if he felt like the past few weeks have gone as well as could be expected in his ramp-up to the season. “That’s never going to happen. But I’m just taking it day by day. Like I said, just learning. Some days are going to be good, some days I’m going to be a little bit tight, so learn from it and adjust and keep doing the right things.”

Here are a few more notes from the Atlantic Division:

Embiid wasn’t the only member of the Sixers who played well in Friday’s tune-up, with Tyrese Maxey (27 points, seven assists, four rebounds, two steals in 30 minutes), VJ Edgecombe (26 points, six rebounds, three assists, five steals in 34 minutes) and Quentin Grimes (22 points, five assists, three steals in 26 minutes in his preseason debut) all turning in strong showings. Head coach Nick Nurse complimented No. 3 overall pick Edgecombe in particular, tweets Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports. “It’s almost every single day you see something from his athleticism that you say ‘wow.’ … He’s way ahead of where we thought he might be being able to do that [running the offense]. …He’s got a good feel for the game.”
In an exclusive interview with Marc J. Spears of Andscape, forward Brandon Ingram talks about joining the Raptors and leaving the Pelicans. While the former All-Star has “a lot of love for New Orleans,” he’s ready for a fresh start in Toronto. “This team can be whatever we want it to be,” Ingram said of the Raptors. “We have everything on the defensive end. We play hard. The next thing is execution over and over again on the offensive end. … The East is wide open this [upcoming season]. We have a chance to be better, but we’ve got to expedite it.”
Nets guard/forward Egor Demin, this year’s No. 8 overall pick, missed most of training camp and preseason with a plantar fascia tear in his foot, an injury he tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post he actually sustained prior to June’s draft — not during Summer League — that gradually got worse over time. While the Russian teenager admitted the injury will likely have to be monitored throughout his rookie season, he doesn’t think he’ll need surgery to address it down the line.
Demin made his Nets preseason debut on Thursday, scoring 14 points and grabbing five rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench in a five-point loss to Toronto. “He was excellent,” head coach Jordi Fernández said of Demin, per Lewis. “There’s going to be things he’s going to keep working on. We’ve got to keep building him up physically to be able to sustain more minutes. … But I’m very happy with his presence, how composed he was, how he talked to his teammates, all those things. And made it look easy. He shot the ball every time he was open or halfway open, got to the free-throw line and rebounded. He got five rebounds, made nice plays at the rim. It was good.”

Atlantic Notes: Edgecombe, Minott, Bridges, Raptors

October 10th, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Eli Cohen

VJ Edgecombe missed the Sixers‘ game on Friday against the Magic due to hip soreness, as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Pompey notes that despite receiving a day-to-day injury designation, Edgecombe was a part of shootaround this morning and will be a participant in practice next week, barring a setback.

Staying healthy is crucial for Edgecombe, especially since he has an opportunity to play a big role for the Sixers this season. Tony Jones of The Athletic writes that the rookie guard has a real shot at being a starter, though his role could hinge in large part on the health of Paul George and Joel Embiid.

Regardless of whether he starts or not, Edgecombe should be in line for plenty of minutes this year, according to Jones, who highlights Edgecombe’s ability to play as a pick-and-roll ball-handler and passer off the dribble as a more underrated part of his skill set. As is the case for many athletic guards, Edgecombe’s development will hinge on how good he can become as a shooter and ball-handler.

We have more notes from around the Atlantic Division:

As part of the Celtics‘ plan to reset their books with Jayson Tatum injured, the team brought in younger, unproven players to try to rebuild its depth following the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet. One such player who has stood out so far, according to Brian Robb of MassLive, is Josh Minott. The 23-year-old forward, who came to Boston after three years with the Wolves, showed a bit of everything except for shooting in the Celtics’ preseason game on Wednesday. While all of the Celtics’ young players played well on Wednesday, Robb writes, Minott’s hustle and defensive ability stood out. Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe (subscription required) echoed that sentiment, while adding that Minott’s versatility could allow him to carve out a role in head coach Joe Mazzulla‘s game plan.
The Knicks are still adjusting to Mike Brown‘s offense, but there’s excitement about the changes the new head coach is bringing to the team, with second-year Knick Mikal Bridges expressing appreciation for Brown’s approach, writes Ian Begley for SNY. “He and his coaches, they all run a tight ship. You can tell that whatever we’re doing out there, they’re all on the same page, no matter what the situation is,” Bridges said. “And that’s a lot of credit to him… for everybody to be on the same page makes it easier for us players when they talk to us because any coach you talk to, you’re going to hear the same thing.” Brown knows it’s going to be a process to incorporate his changes. “Right now, I don’t care if we win or lose, as long as we keep trying to play the right way and trust it,” he said. “I want them to learn how to play basketball the right way offensively within our staples. That’s pace, whether it’s in the full court or the half court… If you hit that paint and you don’t have the ball, don’t just stand there. Get out right now and re-space to create more opportunities for driving and kicking…. Space the right way all the time… Hey, it hits your hands, shoot it, pass it, snap drive it to try to collapse the defense. Those are things that we believe in.”
With 14 Raptors on guaranteed standard contracts, head coach Darko Rajakovic is unsure if the team will fill its 15th spot for the regular season, indicating on Friday that Toronto is weighing its options, per TSN’s Josh Lewenberg (via Twitter). A.J. Lawson would likely be the favorite if the team does carry a 15th man, Lewenberg notes. Lawson was a standout for the Raptors’ Summer League team and has averaged 4.0 points in 5.4 minutes through two preseason games.

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